Dry product loading apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for loading towers or other vessels with particulate dry product, for instance, catalyst material, which apparatus may be readily transported in recumbent position to the loading area and then erected for elevating the material to the vicinity of the top of the vessel to be loaded. The elevator includes a pivoted carriage in which containers of the material may be positioned and which automatically tilts, upon reaching the unloading position, to dump the material into a hopper from which it is piped to the vessel being loaded.

I Unlted States Patent 1151 3,653,526 Kennedy, Jr. [4 1 Apr. 4, 1972[541 DRY PRODUCT LOADING APPARATUS 3,257,007 6/1966 Raynor... "214/625[72] Inventor: AM B. Kennedy, Jr, Alvin Tex. 3,307,724 3/1967 Miller..2l4/3l3 [73] Assignee: Catalyst Services, Inc., Alvin, Tex. FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 22 Filed; Ju|y 2 1970 439,700 3/1912 France..214/3l3 PP'- 51,800 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza AssistantExaminer-Lawrence J. Oresky 52 us. Cl ..214 313, 214 704, 214 715AIwmEyBe-rtram Mann. Frank B. Pugsley, James G. 5 1 1m. 01 ..B65g 9/00Ulmer' Delmar Sroufe and Feldcamp [58] Field of Search ..2l4/30l, 313,704, 705, 706,

214/707, 71 1, 715; 187/852 ABSTRACT Apparatus for loading towers orother vessels with particulate Re'erenc dry product, for instance,catalyst material, which apparatus UNITED STATES PATENTS I may bereadily transported in recumbent position to the load- 1ng area and thenerected for elevatmg the materlal to the 1,168,947 1/1916 Lfl vicinityof the top of the vessel to be loaded The elevator in- 1,833,915 1931Schmm 114/705 cludes a pivoted carriage in which containers of thematerial 3,178,048 4/ 1965 f 187/ 10 may be positioned and whichautomatically tilts, upon 3 L 4/ 1969 wllson l 214/672 reaching theunloading position, to dump the material into a 2105211 8/1936 Tear 187/852 hopper from which it is piped to the vessel being loaded.2,569,982 10/1951 Estel, Jr.... ....l87/8.52 994,859 6/191 l McCune..2l4/ 715 1 Claims, 1 1 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1.Field of the Invention The invention relates to mobile apparatus for usein transporting particulate dry product, such as pelletized catalystmaterial, to a point above the loading opening of a vessel to be chargedand automatically dumping the material into the vessel.

2. Description of the Prior Art While elevators have been provided fortransporting fluid material, such as concrete, to elevated locations andthen dumping the material, no apparatus has been available or taught inthe prior art which is adapted for efficiently loading pelletizedcatalyst material into vessels wherein chemical processes are performed.For instance, the elevators used in transporting concrete during theconstruction of reinforced concrete buildings obviously must be custombuilt for each location, albeit using conventionally provided barsand/or modules which though sometimes usedin catalyst loading operationsare nevertheless inefficient for this purpose. Also, mobile towerdevices are available for various purposes, but none of these has beendesigned for or is reasonably suggestive of an apparatus which may beconveniently transported to a chemical plant, erected in the vicinity ofa vessel to be charged, then utilized for elevating and dumping thecatalyst material into the loading opening at the top of the vessel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention thereis provided elongated framing structure forming an elevator chute whichis pivotally mounted on a mobile bed, such as a truck trailer. Means, ashydraulic cylinders, are provided for swinging the chute structure intoits erect position. The elevator consists of a frame which is guidedalong the chute structure and powered by a suitable winch or motor andcables. A carriage for accommodating one or more containers of the dryproduct to be loaded is pivotally mounted on the framing and has latchstructure which secures the carriage and containers for transport to theloading position. Cooperating elements at the loading position providefor unlatching the carriage and tilting the same into a position fordumping the material from the containers into a hopper whence it isconducted through suitable piping to the loading point. As the elevatorframing is lowered, the carriage is automatically righted so thatupon'reaching the lower loading position, it is ready for removal of theempty containers and, if necessary, insertion of filled containers forcontinuing the loading process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings whichillustrate the invention,

FIG. l is a side view of the novel erected position.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric view of the unloading hopper, portionsbeing broken away to illustrate the underlying parts.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged isometric illustrating the elevator and hopperwith the elevator approaching the unloading position.

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are schematic representations of the parts in FIG. 4illustrating the dumping operation and commencement of the return(lowering) movement of the elevator.

FIG. 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the tiltablecarriage and portions of the loading platform portion of the elevatorstructure.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, but showing a product containerbeing loaded onto the elevator carriage.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing a modified form ofelevator carriage.

FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of the parts in FIG. 10, butshowing the elevator carriage in dumping position.

loading apparatus in 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1shows a semitrailer including a bed portion generally designated 15mounted upon rear wheels 16 and provided with a light pivoted supportcarriage 17 at the forward end and a suitable fifth wheel arrangement(not shown) for coupling to a tractor. Projecting above the forwardportion if the trailer bed is a support structure 18 for mounting thefree end of the elevator chute structure in its recumbent position, asshown at 19 in dotted lines, and providing space for accommodatingloading supplies, as at 20. Elevator base framing 21 is moreor-lesspermanently secured to the rear end of the bed in upright position andincludes vertical side members 21a and 21b. A base block 22 may bepositioned beneath base structure 21, and side braces 23 and 24 may beprovided during elevating operation.

The main elevator framework 19 is pivotally secured to base framing part21, as-at 27, and includes laterally spaced side structures 19a and 19bdirectly secured to and forming continuations of base side pieces 21aand 21b. Cable or rigid type guides 28 extend centrally along the innerportions of elevator side pieces 19a and 19b, and sheave wheels 29 and30 are mounted on the top piece 31. A pair of hydraulic motors arepivotally mounted to the bed in line with side structures 19a and 19b,as at 32, and each includes an hydraulic cylinder 33 receiving areciprocating hydraulic piston and piston rod 34 connected to sidestructures 19a and 19b somewhat above the pivoted bottom ends thereof. Apower unit is illustrated at 35 which would include a basic powersource, either an internal combustion engine or an electric motor, anhydraulic pump for powering elevator lift cylinders 33, and a winch 36.The power unit may be separately mounted, as upon an individual trailer.

Mounted on the elevator framework 19 at an upper unloading positionthereon is a hopper having a funneled outlet 41 at its lower end forconnection to a flexible hose 42 which leads to the filling opening 43of a vessel 44 to be charged with the particulate material. A pair ofstop forming stub shafts or pintles 45 project oppositely from the sidesof trough 40 adjacent the elevator framework, and these may consist ofthe ends of a continuous bar extending across the hopper opening.

The elevator itself consists of a slide frame portion, generallydesignated 46, (FIG. 4) and a tiltable carriage, generally designated47. Frame 46 consists of tubular side pieces 48 which are slidablyreceived on aforementioned guides 28 and a transverse top piece 49including spaced apart plates 49a and 49b pivotally receiving betweenthem a sheave wheel 50. Short pins 51 project inwardly from intermediateportions of guide pieces 48 for a purpose to be explained.

The carriage 47 includes base framing 54 having an intermediate crossplate 55 and serially arranged rollers 56 and 57. Generallysemicylindrical backing stops 58 and 59 project upwardly from theright-hand edge of base 54 (FIG. 4) with their upper edges slightlyabove the upper edges of frame cross pieces 49a and 49b. Projectingupwardly from the side pieces 66 and 61 of the bottom carriage frame 54and preferably secured to the outer side edges of stops 58 and 59 arebars as 62 and 63 connected at their tops by cross pieces as at 64. Adetent or latch member, as 65, is pivoted as at 66 to each cross piece64. Each detent or latch has a downwardly extending nose 67 at one endand an arm 68 at the other separately pivoted to the main body. of thelatch. The latch is constantly urged counterclockwise and the latchparts 65, 68 toward their aligned configuration by a spring 69 and asmall pin 70 limits the spring biasing of the latch wherein, when thecarriage is in its upright position, as in FIGS. 4 and 5, nose 6!thereof will extend about and engage the corresponding pin 5 I on frameguide 48. The carriage is pivotally secured to the mentioned tubularguides 48 by means of pivot pins 72 projecting from carriage base sidepieces and 61. In this form of the invention, the pivot pins 72 may belocated anywhere in the quadrant below and leftwardly of point 73symbolizing the center of mass of the carriage (FIG. 5) so that thecarriage, when released will tend to tilt in a clockwise direction, thatis, toward hopper 40, as will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 8, a pair of levers as at 75 are pivotally mounted tothe under edges of carriage base side members 60 and 61, as at 76. Theright ends of the levers 75 are weighted, as at 77, or otherwise biasedto the positions shown in FIG. 8. At the left ends of the levers 75 areupstanding stop elements 78 which are normally positioned as shown inFIG. 8 so as to overlap the containers 79 resting on rollers 56 or 57.Also shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are a pair of laterally spaced bars 80projecting rearwardly from the rear end of trailer bed and connectednear their rear ends by a cross bar 81. This bar 81 is positioned sothat when carriage 46 is in its lowermost (loading) position, as in FIG.9, it will engage the right ends of levers 75 so as to rotate theselevers counterclockwise sufficiently to withdraw stop elements 78 fromthe path of a container 79. Additional container stabilizers are shownat 82 projecting inwardly from formed back stops 58 and 59 for abuttingthe upper edge of the received container. Also shown in FIGS. 8 and 9are portions of roller-equipped container slides 83 mounted on the rearof the trailer bed in position for directing product containers upon thefloor 54 of the carriage, when in its lowermost (loading) position.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show an elevator and fixed trough construction generallysimilar to the corresponding parts in the first form, including thepowered frame part, generally designated 46, and the tiltable carriage,generally designated 47. However, the carriage is pivotally mounted onpins as at 85 extending between intermediate portions of guide tubes 48and carriage side frame parts 63. These pivot pins, preferably, arelocated somewhat above the center of mass of the carriage so that thecarriage will be stably supported in its upright position, as shown inFIG. 10. Projecting rightwardly (forwardly) then upwardly, from carriageside frame members 62 are tilt enforcing brackets 86 having curved endtips positioned to engage stop pintles 45 as the elevator approaches theunloading position. Thereafter, continued elevation of frame 46, throughthe interaction of levers 86 and pins 45, causes tilting of carriage 47from the position in FIG. 10, through the dotted line position in FIG.11, to the solid line position in FIG. 11 in which the carriage istilted sufi'rciently to discharge product from a container or containers79 into hopper 40. The movement of the elevator is stopped before levers86 pass beyond stop pins 45, so that the carriage will not be released.As the elevator is lowered, the carriage motion is reversed through theinteraction of the heavier bottom portion of the carriage and arms 86and pins 45.

In the both forms of the invention, an elevating cable 89 extends fromwinch 36 to a sheave or pulley near the bottom of the chute structure,then upwardly to pulleys 30 and 29, downwardly around traveling pulley50, then to an anchor point at the top of the chute structure.

FIG. 3 shows details of the hopper 40 including sidewardly projectingstop pins 45 which are secured as by welding to the adjacent barelements 19c and 19d constituting adjacent longitudinal members ofchute-forming girders 19a and 19b. In the lower part of the hopper thereis pivotally mounted a flapper valve 90 on a shaft 91 joumalled in theside walls of the hopper. Shaft 91 leftwardly of the hopper is turned ata right angle to form the normally depending arm 92 weighted as at 93.This arm indicates whether or not there is product remaining in thehopper, since when such product is in the hopper, valve plate 90 will beurged downwardly causing lifting of lever 92 to the dotted lineposition. The figure also shows a neck 41 at the lower end of the hopperto which product transport piping 42 is attached.

OPERATION In order to transport the novel loading apparatus along thehighways and about the plant of a user, elevator chute structure 19 willbe dropped to the recumbent dotted line position shown in FIG. 1 withits free end resting on support structure 18. When the work area isreached, elevator base framing 21 will be supported and braced as shownat 22, 23, and 24 in FIG. 2, and hydraulic cylinders 33 will bepressured to swing chute structure 19 upwardly to the solid lineposition in FIG. 1. Guides 28, where cables are used, may be simplyloosened when the chute structure is lowered, in which case it willsimply be necessary to tighten these cables to prepare them forelevation of product. On the other hand, the cables may be disconnectedat the bottom of the chute in which case it may be necessary to rethreadthe cables through guide tubes 48 and refasten them to the bottom of thechute structure. The transport hose is then secured to the bottom ofhopper 40 and led to the filling opening of the vessel to be loaded.With stop elements 78 lowered as in FIG. 9, as they will be when theelevator is in its lowermost or loading position resting against framing80 near the bottom of the chute structure, one or more drums or othercontainers 20, 79 are then rolled across elements 83 and onto the floorof the carriage. Top stop elements 82 in contoured drum shields 58 and59 forming the carriage forward walls are positioned to abut the upperedges of the containers. Winch 36 is then actuated to lift the elevatorand contents upwardly through the chute structure. As the elevatorleaves chute bottom elements 80,81, stop elements 78 will be movedagainst the bottoms of the drums to cooperate with top stop elements 82to lock the drums in position.

As the elevator approaches the unloading position (FIG. 4), latch 65will engage stop rod or shaft 44 and thereby be rotated to the dottedline position of FIG. 5 in which carriage 47 is released from thepowered frame 46. Thereupon, due to the unbalanced mounting of thecarriage upon pivot pins 72, the carriage will tilt forward until itsforward bars 62 rest against laterally projecting rods or bar parts 45.The upward movement of the elevator will be continued to about theposition of FIG. 6 in which the inclination of the carriage is such thatproduct will be fully dumped from containers 79. In this position, theouter extremities of contoured drum shields 58 and 59 will serve aschutes for directing the product into hopper 40. These extensions alsobear against stop rods 44 so that the tilting angle of carriage 47 maybe increased while retaining the carriage under control. When container79 has been emptied, the winch is reversed and the elevator loweredwhich, at first, shifts the elevator to its upright position andreengages latch 65 with latch pins 51. Latch parts 68 may break upwardly(FIG. 7) in passing pivot pins 44. As the empty elevator approaches itslowermost position for reloading, stops 78 will be withdrawn so that theempty containers can be removed and fresh ones inserted upon thecarriage floor for further loading of the vessel or other use of theloading apparatus.

The form in FIGS. 10 and 11 operates the same as that previouslydescribed except for the detailed functioning of the carriage tiltingparts due to the modified tilting structures 86 and 85.

After completion of the particular operation at hand, the elevator chutestructure will be again lowered to its recumbent position of FIG. 1 andtransported to the next work area for repetition of the steps justdescribed.

Accordingly, the apparatus renders the charging of vessels, particularlythose having elevated charging openings, expeditious and convenient. Itis unnecessary to construct permanent scaffolding or other loadinginstrumentalities, or for each plant to have its own loading facilities,due to the ready transport of the herein described loading apparatusfrom place to place, the invention may be modified in various respectsas will occur to those skilled in the art, and the exclusive use of allmodifications as come within the scope of the appended claims iscontemplated.

I claim:

1. Loading apparatus for dry product comprising an elevator framework, aslide frame member movable along said frame work between loading andunloading positions thereon,

ward movement thereof continues, and cooperable abutment elements onsaid framework and said carriage member for upright positioning of saidcarriage member during lowering thereof from said unloading position,said detent having a part engageable by said second stop means duringlowering of said frame member and yieldable to permit said detent topass said second stop means.

- I! I I i t

1. Loading apparatus for dry product comprising an elevator framework, aslide frame member movable along said frame work between loading andunloading positions thereon, a carriage member tiltable carried by saidframe member and normally biased toward its tilted, unloading position,detent and first stop means on said members normally cooperating tomaintain said carriage member in its upright position, second stop meanson said framework in position to engage said detent and release the samefrom said first stop means when said carriage member is moved to saidunloading position to thereby cause unloading tilting of said carriagemember as upward movement thereof continues, and cooperable abutmentelements on said framework and said carriage member for uprightpositioning of said carriage member during lowering thereof from saidunloading position, said detent having a part engageable by said secondstop means during lowering of said frame member and yieldable to permitsaid detent to pass said second stop means.